Dear Friends, Welcome to the Canadian Council for Refugees' (CCR) electronic bulletin on trafficking. This e-bulletin contains updates on trafficking issues, including different organizations’ responses to trafficking and other information and resources for non-governmental organizations and others working on these issues. This is part of a wider effort to share information, ideas and strategies across Canada. The CCR e-bulletin on trafficking is published every two months. If you would like to contribute to future issues, please forward your suggestions with related links and/or attachments to traffickingbulletin [at] ccrweb [dot] ca. We also invite you to send us any feedback you might deem relevant on the content for us to consider for future issues. For previous issues, please visit: http://ccrweb.ca/en/traffickingbulletin. We hope you will find this e-bulletin useful and interesting.

On 15 March, the B.C. government announced the province’s Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking, which specifies the main priority and action areas for responding to trafficking issues throughout the province from 2013 to 2016. The Action Plan is based on the information provided by representatives from law enforcement, service providers, First Nations, the faith-based community, Crown counsel, and all levels of government, among others involved. The information-exchange involved consultations in Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George. The B.C. Action Plan focuses on five priorities for action:

Toronto City Council has adopted a number of recommendations to address the issue of human trafficking in the city. The recommendations address collaboration, increased trainings, data collection, the development of policies and protocols and policy recommendations to the federal government. Service providers and concerned citizens contributed to an initial report; the report was adopted on 20 February, 2013.

The Number of Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada Increases in 2012

The number of migrant workers in Canada has increased by 70% in the last five years. Canada has been shifting towards a reliance on migrant labour. In 2008, for the first time, the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada exceeded the total number of permanent residents admitted in the same year. At the end of 2012, the gap had grown: there were 338,189 Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada on December 1, 2012, compared to 257,515 new permanent residents in 2012. Migrant workers are especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse because of their lack of status, their isolation and their lack of access to information on their rights, and because the Canadian and most provincial governments don't ensure monitoring of their workplaces. The structure of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program specifically creates opportunities for the exploitation of migrant workers, increasing their vulnerability to human trafficking. For more information, please see: Increase in Temporary Foreign Worker numbers, Canadian Council for Refugees: http://ccrweb.ca/en/increase-temporary-foreign-worker-numbers. Migrant Workers in Canada, Used and Abused, Canadian Council for Refugees: http://ccrweb.ca/files/migrantworkers4pager.pdf.

International Developments

International Labour Office (ILO) Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Forced Labour and Trafficking for Labour Exploitation An ILO Tripartite Meeting of Experts was held from 11-15 February in Geneva to develop new standards on Forced Labour and Trafficking. The meeting report identified gaps in three areas: prevention of forced labour, victim protection, and trafficking for labour exploitation. It also identified the need to provide guidance for measures to implement existing standards across member states. The report is available at: ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---normes/documents/meetingdocument/wcms_203982.pdf

A Facilitator’s Guide to Caring for Trafficking Survivors In 2009 the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Gender Violence & Health Centre of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) published a handbook Caring for Trafficked Persons: Guidance for Health Providers. The handbook has now been developed into a training tool for health providers who may come into contact with survivors of trafficking at different stages. The training is designed to be accessible to different types of health care providers and is comprised of easily navigable sessions.

Reports and media

CCR Report on the National Forum and Workshop on Trafficking The full report of the CCR’s National Forum and Workshop on Trafficking held 28-29 November, 2012 in Toronto, is now available online at: http://ccrweb.ca/en/trafficking-forum-report-2012. The full length report is only available in English.

We encourage organizations to work together to strengthen existing efforts to protect the rights of trafficked persons and to consider ways to follow up on the issues and recommendations from the Forum.

Mataev trial: Jury trial of five men facing charges of pimping, sexual assault and trafficking discontinued

The jury trial of five men who are facing charges of pimping, living off the avails of prostitution, sexual assault and trafficking has been discontinued. A new date will be determined by Quebec Superior Court Justice Marc David.

London police, social workers and health care providers will receive training to identify potentially trafficked persons The RCMP will work in collaboration with social agencies and health care providers to provide training on human trafficking in London, Ontario. On 5 and 6 March a two-day conference on human trafficking was held in London, sponsored by Western University’s Centre for Research and Education on Violence against Women & Children. Loly Rico, President of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) was one of the presenters and participants at the conference.

London police, social workers get trained to spot human trafficking victims, The London Free Press, 6 March, 2013: http://bit.ly/WKhdK6.

Alberta

Edmonton police warn of prevalence of human trafficking Edmonton police announced arrests in two cases of alleged human trafficking. In one, a 16-year-old girl was invited to Edmonton from her home in Saskatchewan by a female friend on Facebook. She was then confined and controlled for the purposes of sexual exploitation. The second case involved an 18-year-old young woman who was confined to a hotel room by a man that she had recently met. Police say human trafficking is increasingly widespread in the province.

Announcements Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Announces National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has released a national strategy to combat human trafficking outlining current and future efforts. Through this strategy, the RCMP aims to reduce the prevalence of human trafficking in Canada and abroad, as well as the harms caused by trafficking. The report outlines four strategic objectives:

Enhance prevention strategies in Canada;

Strengthen the assistance and protection of survivors of trafficking in Canada;

Improve the identification, disruption and prosecution of human trafficking in Canada; and

Enhance partnerships to combat human trafficking in Canada and abroad.

FCJ Refugee Centre Offers Two New Anti-Trafficking Workshops, Toronto, ON The FCJ Refugee Centre is offering two new workshops on anti-trafficking. One covers the Temporary Residence Permit application process, as well as the advantages and disadvantages, services covered by TRPs and obstacles encountered. The free workshop is aimed at legal professionals and front-line workers who may go through the process with survivors of trafficking. The second workshop is designed to provide tools for offering mental health support to victims/survivors.

Some benefits of the workshops include:

Access to crucial training materials and educational resources;

Identify and provide better services to women, men, girls and boys who have been trafficked;

B.C. Teacher’s Federation (BCTF) Organizes Human Trafficking Conference In February 2013, the B.C. Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) held a one-day conference under the title “Stolen Lives, Calling Back our Spirits” in Prince George at Nasdeh Yoh elementary school. The conference sought to inform teachers about human trafficking and about how to identify it in their communities. The B.C. Office to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons (OCTIP) has been working with the BCTF for five years, travelling around the province to inform teachers about prevention and intervention strategies. Human trafficking will be the focus of a larger-scale Prince George conference on 25-26 Marchat the Civic Centre for all service providers, including the RCMP, nurses, social workers, and youth probation officers.

“Human Trafficking: Philippine, Canadian and Global Context”, University of British Columbia (UBC) Roundtable held, January 2013 A roundtable “Human Trafficking: Philippine, Canadian and Global Context” was held on 14 January, 2013 as part of the UBC Philippine Studies Series in cooperation with other sponsors.. Five speakers presented on the situation in the Philippines, Washington State and in British Columbia and emphasized the concerns and experiences of the Philippine community. It is hoped that this event will open up a cross-cultural dialogue between communities and across sectors on trafficking issues.

ACT Alberta Launches the Community Educator Program In January 2013, ACT Alberta launched its ‘Community Educator Program’ to train volunteers to be community educators on human trafficking. With the support of the Government of Alberta Human Rights, Education and Multiculturalism Fund, this program will help equip the public to know how to recognize and report trafficking. For further information, please visit: http://actalberta.org.

Trafficking-related events Alliance Against Modern Slavery: “Advanced Anti-Human Trafficking Training”, Toronto, ON, 18-22 March, 2013 Registration is now open for an intensive 5-day anti-human trafficking training session hosted by the Alliance Against Modern Slavery in partnership with the United States Embassy and Providing Resources, Offering Supports. Internationally and nationally recognized trainers, Jane Runner and Jennifer Richardson will take part.

Comité d’action contre la traite humaine interne et internationale (CATHII) Conference on Trafficking, Montreal, QC, 11-12 April 2013 Intervenir face à la traite: vers une action concertée! (Facing human trafficking: moving towards concerted action!) will consist of a day of study preceded by a public conference 11-12 April 2013 in Montreal. This event is organized by CATHII in collaboration with the Social Service School of McGill University and Hans & Tamar Oppenheimer Chair in Public International Law.

Forum: “Human Trafficking for Forced Labour: Raising Awareness and Building Response”, Organized by the FCJ Refugee Centre, Toronto, ON, 23 April 2013 The forum will focus on persons trafficked internationally for the purposes of forced labour and the barriers to services and protection for these populations. This event is part of the National Victims of Crime Awareness Week 2013: We All Have a Role and is funded by the Department of Justice Canada.

Walk With Me Seminar: “What's My Role? Addressing Human Trafficking in your Field”, Hamilton, ON, 23 April 2013This seminar is organized by Walk With Me and will be held 23 April 2013 in Hamilton, Ontario. It is funded by the National Victims of Crime Awareness Week.

The seminar has been developed specifically for those whose professional role brings them into contact with victims/survivors of human trafficking or individuals at-risk for becoming victims. It is therefore primarily intended for professionals in the social services, health care and child welfare sectors and others who work directly with youth or other at-risk populations, as well as officers in law enforcement and the justice system.